The Claiming by Cooper
Chapter 182

Layan's Retum Chapter 27: Jara

Jara

Even though it's the middle of the night, we all hear the howl of victory. I rush out of bed and begin getting dressed before turning back to Mason.

"Who do you think caught her?" I whisper so we don't wake the twins.

He yawns, totally unconcerned. "No telling, but that was definitely an Alpha's howl, so she's a Luna now." He says, rolling back over. "I'll stay and watch the kids."

I stare at his back for a moment. "Seriously? You're not the least bit curious?"

He turns his head just enough to look at me. "You'll tell me or I'll find out in a few hours when I get up. Either way, it won't change the outcome, love, and I need sleep."

I frown at him before I finish getting dressed and rush out of the room. I'm just closing my door when Hana, Annabel and Mignon come rushing out of their rooms. We smile at each other and race down the stairs and out of the house.

"None of the guys cared to come find out who claimed her?" I ask them.

We all agree that our mates are the most uninquisitive men we've ever met.

"Asher even went so far as to say that he didn't have to be nosey because I'm nosey enough for both of us. Imagine!" Mignon says, offended.

"The nerve of him." Hana says.

"This isn't being nosey, this is being curious." Annabel clarifies.

"Curious and wanting to ensure that Katerina is safe and was claimed properly." I say.

We all agree that those are our reasons and being nosey has nothing to do with it.

When we get to the back of the main packhouse, I see that nearly all of the claimants are there, watching to see who brings Katerina out. I notice the Alpha Jonas is front and center. We all know that he and his pack members weren't invited to Katerina's claiming, but in true Alpha fashion, he's here to make sure that his previous pack mate is safe.

We watch as several warriors and omegas come out of the territory, all of them looking worn and weary. We catch snippets of their conversation.

"Never even saw her."

"Never caught her scent."

"Are we sure she was really in there?"

I look at the other Lunas. We all smile proudly. She gave them a good run, a good hunt.

"No wonder it was so quiet in there. They couldn't find her." Hana says.

"I wonder where she was." Mignon says.

"The trees, like Jara was, I'll bet." Annabel says.

"Yeah, but the trees only lasted so long. I had to get down.

periodically for food and water." And that's when it dawns on me. If she was very careful, very stealthy, Katerina could have used the watering hole as her hiding spot. It would explain why no one ever caught her scent on the ground. She was always high in the sky.

"The watering hole on top of the cliff." I tell them.

Just then, Alpha Quinton comes walking out of the territory. He also looks exhausted and run ragged...

"Has she come out yet?" He asks.

"Not yet." Jonas says, watching the forest line.

Quinton sits on the ground to wait and see who claimed her.

I grab a bottle of water and give it to him, watching as he downs it in one go.

"Damn! What a woman. That's the first hunt I've ever been on where I couldn't find a scent trail. That was one hell of a hunt." He says, appreciatively. "I'm thankful I've got a couple of days before I go back in. I'll probably sleep the entire time."

It's another thirty minutes before Alpha Davis comes walking out of the territory empty-handed. Hana grabs him a bottle and he sits down next to Quinton.

"So, I guess it was Luke that caught her?" He asks.

“I guess so. It sounded like an Alpha's howl to me." Quinton says.

"Me too." I say, standing beside them, watching.

It's another hour before Luke finally emerges holding an unconscious Katerina in his arms, her long dark hair swinging nearly to the ground as he walks with her.

I walk up to him slowly, not sure what to expect after last year.

"It's okay, Luna. I'm not in the haze." He says and I approach, looking at her neck. I frown and look up at him.

He smiles at me, then looks at his new mate. "She said she hoped it would be me and she willingly gave me her neck when I caught her. It made marking her a much gentler process." He says. Her mark isn't even bruised. It's two simple puncture wounds at the crook of her neck where it turns to her shoulder.

"I'm so happy for both of you." I tell him, and I mean it.

"I am too, Luna. Thank you, for everything, but I'm going to..." He nods his head in the general direction of the packhouse.

"Yes, yes, of course." I say, moving out of his way. I know he's anxious to take her to her room. However, as I watch, he begins heading back to the main packhouse.

"Wait, where are you going?" I ask him.

He turns, looking at me over his shoulder, frowning. "To my room."

"But, don't you want to go to the female's housing? To her room?" I ask, confused.

He raises an eyebrow at me. "And be in a house with a bunch of crying babies on the few days of being with my mate? No thanks." He says before turning back and heading inside.

"We all have our own rooms now, Luna. Plus, most of us will be going into the next claim in a couple of days. It's fine. She'll be fine. I wouldn't say that if I didn't believe it was true." Jonas says

to me.

Everyone begins heading back inside but I stand there, watching.

"It's so different from last year, isn't it?" Hana asks, coming to stand beside me.

"Even I can tell it's completely different from last year." Mignon.

says.

"And no claiming haze, not one of them." Annabel says.

"It looks like Dr. Braxton is right. We are the change that was needed to end the feral-fever and claiming haze in our species." I

say.

As we watch, other claimants come up to Luke, patting him on the shoulder and congratulating him. I truly can't believe how much has changed in a year.

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